Do you remember the "Let’s Make a Deal!" TV program from years ago? MC Monty Hall would approach audience members who were dressed up in outrageous costumes and ask them if they would be willing to trade part of their costume for the special prize behind the curtain/the box/in his pocket? Well, many of your parents will, and even though your Tiger Cubs won’t be familiar with it, if you jazz up the selections, they’ll want to trade!
Create a curtained area(s) and put some junk behind it. Get a large box(es), set it on a stand or table, and put something trashy in it. Additionally, cover a shoebox in some glitzy paper, and set it on a TV tray.
The number of selections you have depends on the number of boys you have, whether you let boys select (share) the same item or not, and your creativity. I plan to create 3 "bogus" prize selections and use a shoebox selection to hold some scarves. In addition, the Cubmaster will have some "backup" envelopes in his pockets that contain scarves.
For the ceremony, the Cubmaster will explain that the Tigers are at the point in their Scouting career where they are now ready to become Cubs. He adds that they have grown and matured and are on their way to learning (or HAVE learned) the basic tenets of Cub Scouting (Bobcat requirements). But, he now wants to test their courage and decision-making skills. He asks all the Tigers to come forward.
His assistant(s) puts up the "Let’s Make a Deal" sign and "rolls" the various trade-off selections into place. The Cubmaster explains that behind each selection is a very special prize. Each boy can select ONE choice, in exchange for something the Scout is willing to trade (his old Tiger Big Idea booklet, or some other prop the Den Coordinator has pre-arranged).
If you have more boys than selections, be sure to ask all the boys what they want to trade for BEFORE showing the "prizes."
Then show the boys their prizes! The Cubmaster can "heartily endorse" the gag prizes to the boys (i.e. these boxes will really come in handy for building a tunnel or holding a collection - things that are really possible requirements for the Wolf badge).
If the boys didn’t "win" the Wolf scarf, give them another chance to trade for an envelope the Cubmaster just happens to have in his pocket. Some boys may want to keep the gag prize, which is OK too.